I love egg nog. It has always been one of my favorite holiday treats. It just has way too many calories though. And, for some reason all of the egg nogs we can find list a serving size as 1/2 cup. C'mon, really that's not enough for barely a taste. I think a regular 8oz cup is the minimum serving required for any satisfaction.
The lowest calorie nog we found was the Silk Soy Nog. Now I'm a big fan of soy milk, having given up milk after my calcium kidney stones. Still with a 1/2 cup serving size there are only 90 calories which is half found in regular light egg nog. Still at 180 calories a cup we were not satisfied.
I've been making my own nogs for years, but had never tried making a low calorie version. After several experimental batches and trials I've come up with a very good diet nog with about a 90 calorie per cup. Since there are no eggs in it we decided to call it "Daddy Nog."
DADDY NOG RECIPE
4 tsp EnerG Egg Replacer Powder
1/2 Cup Splenda Sweetener
4 cup Soy Milk Vanilla
1-1/2 tsp Rum Extract (brandy or Scotch extract will also work)
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp Ground Cinammon
1 tb Vanilla Extract
1 tb Nonfat Powdered Milk
2 cups Ice Cubes
1/4 Banana (adds a little creaminess)
Blend it all until smooth. If your blender does not completely blend ice then I recommend blending everything else first and then add the ice to blended with the mixture last.
Makes approx. 6 x 1 cup servings @ about 90 calories per cup.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Ener G Egg Replacer
Since we have been more focused on what we eat Sonia and I will sometimes escape the kids and go to the grocery store. We have 6 different grocery stores all within a 10 minute drive so there is a fair variety.
On one of our recent trips we discovered EnerG Egg Replacer. It is not sold as a health food where we found it, but rather as a kosher egg substitute for those with allergies. The main attractand for us is that an egg serving equivalent is only 15 calories.
This powder is NOT an egg product. You can not use it like Egg Beaters to make scrambled eggs. Rather, it is to be used in baking for a substitute. It's main ingredients are potato and tapioca starch.
Sonia likes to take regular recipies for cakes and brownies and make calorie cutting substitutions. She can go into detail about it, but switching oil for apple sauce and sugar for Splenda have worked very well. So, switching eggs for something else seemed worth a shot. Sonia's first experiment was wiith some pumpkin muffins. The result was spongy and delicious.
At a 75 calorie reduction per egg I recommend giving it a shot.
On one of our recent trips we discovered EnerG Egg Replacer. It is not sold as a health food where we found it, but rather as a kosher egg substitute for those with allergies. The main attractand for us is that an egg serving equivalent is only 15 calories.
This powder is NOT an egg product. You can not use it like Egg Beaters to make scrambled eggs. Rather, it is to be used in baking for a substitute. It's main ingredients are potato and tapioca starch.
Sonia likes to take regular recipies for cakes and brownies and make calorie cutting substitutions. She can go into detail about it, but switching oil for apple sauce and sugar for Splenda have worked very well. So, switching eggs for something else seemed worth a shot. Sonia's first experiment was wiith some pumpkin muffins. The result was spongy and delicious.
At a 75 calorie reduction per egg I recommend giving it a shot.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Getting support from the family
One of the hardest things for those trying to lose weight, or live a healthier lifestyle is to do it alone. That's one of the reasons why so many weight loss programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are so popular. What I'm proposing is more than just an external support group though.
The main goal should not be just to lose some weight. Rather, you should be focused on living a better life and taking care of your body in such a way that you can look the way you want and do the things you want.
Nothing is harder than having to prepare your own meals while the family eats "good" food. Or having the family be disgusted at the healthfood you are eating.
Over the years, Sonia and I have tried many different diets independently and I know it has been difficult for both of us. Things really changed when we decided to focus on improving our family's health instead of just our own health. For this we had a Family Home Evening and started by reading through the Word of Wisdom in D&C 89. As we went through it we talked about the types of things we should avoid and the foods that we should eat. The kids actually really got into it.
Since then we are all focused on a common goal. Sure, the kids still want to eat candy, but are now willing to do it with moderation.
The main goal should not be just to lose some weight. Rather, you should be focused on living a better life and taking care of your body in such a way that you can look the way you want and do the things you want.
Nothing is harder than having to prepare your own meals while the family eats "good" food. Or having the family be disgusted at the healthfood you are eating.
Over the years, Sonia and I have tried many different diets independently and I know it has been difficult for both of us. Things really changed when we decided to focus on improving our family's health instead of just our own health. For this we had a Family Home Evening and started by reading through the Word of Wisdom in D&C 89. As we went through it we talked about the types of things we should avoid and the foods that we should eat. The kids actually really got into it.
Since then we are all focused on a common goal. Sure, the kids still want to eat candy, but are now willing to do it with moderation.
The Mom's perspective
I've struggled with my weight most of my life and there is one thing that is common every time I have lost weight and kept it off for a considerable amount of time. That is exercise. When I exercise I feel better about myself and really don't want to take anything into my body that could harm it. I drink more water and I eat more vegetables and fruits. I decided to lose weight right after my freshman year in college. I had gone in being chubby, but I came out even chubbier. I lost a lot of weight very quickly. I exercised more and just generally ate very little. It's easy to do that when you are single and only have yourself to worry about. I kept the weight off for a long time about 4 years. While on my mission in Brazil we ate mostly fruits and vegetables and quite frankly had to rely on the kindness of strangers many times for our daily bread. We walked everywhere and I was strong and healthy. We ate a lot of beans and rice and very little meat because we could not afford it. My skin was so beautiful and healthy from all the water I drank. Shortly after we returned from our missions Ashley and I met at a church dance. It is so cliche, but that's how it happened. We fell in love immediately and were married less than 5 months later. We had both started to gain weight, but it wasn't so noticeable yet. We ate too much junk and didn't exercise. The weight came on quite quickly and soon I was obese. I guess I just accepted it. I was very busy with work and school and exercise never fit in to the equation. I started trying to lose weight about 3 months after my second child's birth. I was now a stay at home mom. I did the Richard Simmons exercise videos, took slim fast and walked on the tread mill. I lost 25 pounds and I felt a lot better about myself. then I got pregnant again and I kept using the tread mill. I had every intention of going back to more strenuous exercise after his birth, but sometimes life throws us a curve ball. We had a hard time dealing with my mother in law's death and by the time we were doing better I was pregnant again with baby number 4. I had pre gestational diabetes whatever that is, so I was put on a very low carb diet. I actually do understand what it is, I didn't have gestational diabetes but I still had to watch my carbs. I had a difficult recovery after her birth. Four c-sections in 5 years is a lot to go through. When I was feeling a little better we decided to move to Utah when she was almost 3 months old. Our house sold quickly and less than a year later we had started exercising and losing weight. I always counted my calories and kept a log and I managed to lose 50 pounds. I kept it off for almost 2 years. The weight started to slowly creep up on me and I did nutrisystem last year and I lost 12 pounds. Their food was gross. I love to cook and eat good food. It was an assault on my body to gag their food down. Some of their snacks and meals are okay, but most were not. This year was difficult for us all and we put on a lot of weight. In July I lost five pounds and then I put them back on and plus another 10 or so. In September I decided that regardless of what my husband did or didn't do I was going to lose the weight. I did the 30 day trike Challenge and contributed to the Utah Trikes blog every day. I lost seven pounds and was so proud of myself. Now it's nearing the end of November and I have lost 17 pounds. My kids have lost a combined weight of about 30 pounds since we started focusing on the Word of Wisdom in October. Just like they had gained weight because of me I know that they have lost weight because of me. I may not have anything to do with Ashley losing weight and I have realized that I don't need him to eat healthier and exercise just because I do. It's very nice that he does now, but this is very important to me that no one else can control what goes in my mouth but me. But, this I can say I have everything to do with the health and weight of my children. They look great and feel even better. They are so beautiful and together we are figuring out how to eat better and get more exercise.
One thing that I must mention is that I have never stopped exercising since I began almost 4 years go. This Summer it became more difficult because I had put on more weight. Now, I am truly feeling like I could walk all day long and feel strong at the end of the day.
Eat natural
Eating food as close to its natural state will give you the most benefit.
Stay away from processed foods.
Eat raw foods.
President Benson had said, "In general, the more food we eat in its natural state and the less it is refined without additives, the healthier it will be for us." (Ensign 4:66, 1974)
Stay away from processed foods.
Eat raw foods.
President Benson had said, "In general, the more food we eat in its natural state and the less it is refined without additives, the healthier it will be for us." (Ensign 4:66, 1974)
Eating grains
One of the things you'll find in the Word of Wisdom is about eating grains. It's not for nothing that wheat is called the staff of life. Bread, tortillas, cereals and more are mostly made from wheat.
Try different grains and incorporate them into your meals to add variety to your diet.
couscous
barley
quinoua
barley
millet
polenta
Try different grains and incorporate them into your meals to add variety to your diet.
couscous
barley
quinoua
barley
millet
polenta
Changing how we eat
Even as i weighed in the 300lb range I did not feel like i was eating too much. Most days I only ate one meal. I would skip breakfast in the morning. Skip lunch. Then I would eat 3 plates of food for dinner and sometimes have "second dinner" right before going to bed.
Now I have learned a method that keeps me satisfied all day while I eat fewer calories. I try to eat 5-6 meals everyday. Every 2.5-3 hours, startingg with mor first breakfast i enjoy a 300-400 calorie meal. This gets my metabolism going early and has helped reduce the size of my stomach, so I actually feel full after eating 300 calories.
Now I have learned a method that keeps me satisfied all day while I eat fewer calories. I try to eat 5-6 meals everyday. Every 2.5-3 hours, startingg with mor first breakfast i enjoy a 300-400 calorie meal. This gets my metabolism going early and has helped reduce the size of my stomach, so I actually feel full after eating 300 calories.
Walk and not be weary
One of the great promises of the Word of Wisdom is that by following it we will "walk and not be weary and run and not be faint". I think that exercise is an important part of any lifetime diet plan. We should actually look forward to walking and running.
Eating meat sparingly
i think there is no part of the Word of Wisdom that causes more controversy than verse ____________ which tells us to eat meat sparingly. It then goes on to say we should only eat meat during the winter and during times of famine.
While this may seem pretty straightforward becoming a Mormon Vegetarian is extremely difficult. Every ward function that features food is bound to have a buffet populated with all variety of meat dishes.
I have tried to be a vegetarian and made it for nearly six months -- until the BBQ. I don't know why meat has to smell and taste so good, but it does.
For now I am content knowing that this part of the Word of Wisdom is not yet a commandment and is only a recommendation. But, let's not kid ourselves.
President Joseph Fielding Smith's wife, Jesse Evans Smith, said, "my husband doesn't eat meat" and he felt a "disdain of meat and (a) love of vegetables." (Brigham Young University Daily Universe, May 6, 1971, p. 1)
While this may seem pretty straightforward becoming a Mormon Vegetarian is extremely difficult. Every ward function that features food is bound to have a buffet populated with all variety of meat dishes.
I have tried to be a vegetarian and made it for nearly six months -- until the BBQ. I don't know why meat has to smell and taste so good, but it does.
For now I am content knowing that this part of the Word of Wisdom is not yet a commandment and is only a recommendation. But, let's not kid ourselves.
President Joseph Fielding Smith's wife, Jesse Evans Smith, said, "my husband doesn't eat meat" and he felt a "disdain of meat and (a) love of vegetables." (Brigham Young University Daily Universe, May 6, 1971, p. 1)
Don't drink your calories
I think one of the main causes for my arrival into obesity was my love of soda. You can figure that most sodas have at least 100 calories per can. If you drink just one a day that is the equivalent of 700 per week. In 5 weeks it adds up to 3500 calories, or the equivalant of one pound of fat.
If you drink more than that like a 20oz bottle or 2 cans of soda a day, that number can easily double or triple.
People will often rationalize that they don't like the taste of diet sodas, or that the artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar. First of all, unless you are getting your soda from mexico it is probably not even made with sugar. Most sodas today are made with high fructose corn syrup. this compound is no more natural than many of the artificial sweeteners and is known to cause many problems.
If you drink more than that like a 20oz bottle or 2 cans of soda a day, that number can easily double or triple.
People will often rationalize that they don't like the taste of diet sodas, or that the artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar. First of all, unless you are getting your soda from mexico it is probably not even made with sugar. Most sodas today are made with high fructose corn syrup. this compound is no more natural than many of the artificial sweeteners and is known to cause many problems.
Watching what you eat
I think an important part of any diet is watching what you eat. It's too easy to have a snack here and a taste there without taking them into account. The results can add up substancially over time.
I recommend logging everything you eat every day. Just the mere act of having to register everything will make you think twice before eating.
I recommend logging everything you eat every day. Just the mere act of having to register everything will make you think twice before eating.
Monday, November 16, 2009
How I Got Fat
While on my mission I walked everywhere. We didn't have enough money to take the bus even to our area, so we walked. It was very common for us to walk 10-15 miles everyday. I wore out the two pairs of shoes I had brought with me in just the first three months.
For all the walking we did, we ate as much as we could. While the families were poor they shared their staple of bean, rice and tortillas with us. A typical meal consisted of a bowl of beans and a side of cactus. Instead of utensils we ate with fresh corn tortillas. Every bite was ingested with half a tortilla. It was not uncommon for my companion and I to finish an entire kilo of tortillas between the both of us at every meal we ate. If I had known enough about calories I may have asked for a fork. Because the water was mostly unsafe to drink we usually had 3-4 sodas everyday to stay hydrated. Despite eating so much, the walking burned off the extra calories and my muscles filled out. When i ended my mission I was 185lbs.
It didn't stay that way for long. Getting back into real life meant finding a job and settling down. Just 6 months after I had come home I was married and had a desk job working for an insurance company. My weight was already up to 225lbs. While I didn't miss all the walking I used to do I wasn't about to stop eating corn tortillas. I had grown addicted to soda as well and typically drank at least a half gallon a day.
As the years went on I started eating out everyday. Combined with an extra large soda each meal was in the 1500 calorie range. The weight piled on.
At some point I knew that I needed to lose the weight. I became a yo-yo dieter. Each diet i tried brought me down some, but when the cravings to eat overcame me and I threw my diet plan out the window I would bounce back.
I was never that preoccupied by my weight though, although I was annoyed when my clothes did not fit me well. I reasoned that I was just a big guy, but still healthy. I never got sick and never felt like I couldn't do anything.
Things really changed for me (the first time) when I took my daughter to the health clinic for a ruptured ear drum. She was afraid to let the doctor touch her so the doctor showed her how to read the blood pressure using my as an example. After the visit the doctor pulled me aside and sain that i needed to get checked out. My blood pressure was through the roof.
When you have children growing up you start to ose that feeling of invincibility. You want to make sure that you are there for them. So, I made an appointment with a doctor. My weight was at an all time high of 350lbs and they wanted to give me medication for my blood pressure. There was even talk of immenent diabetes. So, i started to change my diet.
Sugary soda was the first thing to go. I made the switch to diet soda and that alone brought my weight down to 300lbs in just a few months. While I knew enough to be more judicial about what I ate I still was very sedentary.
Eventually I realized that I would need to start exercising. It is hard to squeeze exercise into a busy life, so I encorporated cycling into my commute. I've always liked the idea of cycling for weight loss because once you get somewhere on a bike you have to ride back.
The bad thing about a traditional bike is that after awhile they start to hurt you, especially if you are overweight. After using my bike to get to work and back everyday for over two months the pain in my neck and forearms was almost unbearable. I had lost over 20lbs and did not want to give up the bike. So, I started looking for other pedal vehicles. I found a peadl car and while it was much more comfortable it was way too heavy and slow to make it practical for daily transportation.
That's when I discovered the recumbent trike. Here was a pedal vehicle that had comparable speed as my bike, but was extremely comfortable. I soon became a trike addict. I rode 25-40 miles every day and the weight was flying of. I was dropping about 5lbs a week. The best part was that I could eat whatever I wanted. I did track my calories to be sure, but I was OK with 1,000 calorie meals at McDonalds being a part of my diet.
I reached a 10 year low of 235lbs -- I looked and felt great. Unfortunately, I had not yet learned the lesson from my post mission weight gain. As winter approached and snow was on the ground I stopped riding. I didn't replace my daily trike riding with any other exercise. I did continue to track my calories, for a time, but that wasn't enough. I started to revert back to my previous dietary tactics and the weight continued to come up. As the following springs and summers came and went I found it hard to get back into my daily rides. It was easy to justify not riding because of my busy work schedule.
So, the weight eventually came back up until I was once again at 298lbs. With the holidays approaching and the family getting chubbier I knew that we needed to make some lifestyle changes.
For all the walking we did, we ate as much as we could. While the families were poor they shared their staple of bean, rice and tortillas with us. A typical meal consisted of a bowl of beans and a side of cactus. Instead of utensils we ate with fresh corn tortillas. Every bite was ingested with half a tortilla. It was not uncommon for my companion and I to finish an entire kilo of tortillas between the both of us at every meal we ate. If I had known enough about calories I may have asked for a fork. Because the water was mostly unsafe to drink we usually had 3-4 sodas everyday to stay hydrated. Despite eating so much, the walking burned off the extra calories and my muscles filled out. When i ended my mission I was 185lbs.
It didn't stay that way for long. Getting back into real life meant finding a job and settling down. Just 6 months after I had come home I was married and had a desk job working for an insurance company. My weight was already up to 225lbs. While I didn't miss all the walking I used to do I wasn't about to stop eating corn tortillas. I had grown addicted to soda as well and typically drank at least a half gallon a day.
As the years went on I started eating out everyday. Combined with an extra large soda each meal was in the 1500 calorie range. The weight piled on.
At some point I knew that I needed to lose the weight. I became a yo-yo dieter. Each diet i tried brought me down some, but when the cravings to eat overcame me and I threw my diet plan out the window I would bounce back.
I was never that preoccupied by my weight though, although I was annoyed when my clothes did not fit me well. I reasoned that I was just a big guy, but still healthy. I never got sick and never felt like I couldn't do anything.
Things really changed for me (the first time) when I took my daughter to the health clinic for a ruptured ear drum. She was afraid to let the doctor touch her so the doctor showed her how to read the blood pressure using my as an example. After the visit the doctor pulled me aside and sain that i needed to get checked out. My blood pressure was through the roof.
When you have children growing up you start to ose that feeling of invincibility. You want to make sure that you are there for them. So, I made an appointment with a doctor. My weight was at an all time high of 350lbs and they wanted to give me medication for my blood pressure. There was even talk of immenent diabetes. So, i started to change my diet.
Sugary soda was the first thing to go. I made the switch to diet soda and that alone brought my weight down to 300lbs in just a few months. While I knew enough to be more judicial about what I ate I still was very sedentary.
Eventually I realized that I would need to start exercising. It is hard to squeeze exercise into a busy life, so I encorporated cycling into my commute. I've always liked the idea of cycling for weight loss because once you get somewhere on a bike you have to ride back.
The bad thing about a traditional bike is that after awhile they start to hurt you, especially if you are overweight. After using my bike to get to work and back everyday for over two months the pain in my neck and forearms was almost unbearable. I had lost over 20lbs and did not want to give up the bike. So, I started looking for other pedal vehicles. I found a peadl car and while it was much more comfortable it was way too heavy and slow to make it practical for daily transportation.
That's when I discovered the recumbent trike. Here was a pedal vehicle that had comparable speed as my bike, but was extremely comfortable. I soon became a trike addict. I rode 25-40 miles every day and the weight was flying of. I was dropping about 5lbs a week. The best part was that I could eat whatever I wanted. I did track my calories to be sure, but I was OK with 1,000 calorie meals at McDonalds being a part of my diet.
I reached a 10 year low of 235lbs -- I looked and felt great. Unfortunately, I had not yet learned the lesson from my post mission weight gain. As winter approached and snow was on the ground I stopped riding. I didn't replace my daily trike riding with any other exercise. I did continue to track my calories, for a time, but that wasn't enough. I started to revert back to my previous dietary tactics and the weight continued to come up. As the following springs and summers came and went I found it hard to get back into my daily rides. It was easy to justify not riding because of my busy work schedule.
So, the weight eventually came back up until I was once again at 298lbs. With the holidays approaching and the family getting chubbier I knew that we needed to make some lifestyle changes.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Changing our lives through the Word of Wisdom
We, like most Americans, do not take enough care of ourselves. We eat too much, we have enough physical activity, we watch too much TV, stay up too late, etc.
About a month ago we decided that our family was going to change our habits. We decided that we were going to become healthier by eating better and getting more exercise. With small children who live for eating candy and junk foods we knew it was going to be a difficult change for all of us.
We started off with a Family Home Evening discussion about the Word of Wisdom found in the Doctrine and Covenants. It was easy for everyone to understand that there are certain things that we should abstain from like tobacco and alcohol. The kids knew something was up when we started to talk about eating meat sparingly.
A month later the family has adapted very well. We are eating more vegetables, a lot more grains, and much less meat than we used to. All of us have lost weight and we can see that this trend will continue.
We are setting up this blog to help us document our findings and to help us discover all the new things out there. There will be a lot of focus on different types of foods as we try different things. We will also be including various scriptoral references in an effort to understand how the Word of Wisdom fits into his Eternal Plan of happiness.
About a month ago we decided that our family was going to change our habits. We decided that we were going to become healthier by eating better and getting more exercise. With small children who live for eating candy and junk foods we knew it was going to be a difficult change for all of us.
We started off with a Family Home Evening discussion about the Word of Wisdom found in the Doctrine and Covenants. It was easy for everyone to understand that there are certain things that we should abstain from like tobacco and alcohol. The kids knew something was up when we started to talk about eating meat sparingly.
A month later the family has adapted very well. We are eating more vegetables, a lot more grains, and much less meat than we used to. All of us have lost weight and we can see that this trend will continue.
We are setting up this blog to help us document our findings and to help us discover all the new things out there. There will be a lot of focus on different types of foods as we try different things. We will also be including various scriptoral references in an effort to understand how the Word of Wisdom fits into his Eternal Plan of happiness.
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